Inaugural Issue of ARAK Journal — “Constellations of Thought and Feeling”
ARAK Journal invites poets, fiction writers, and researchers to contribute to its debut issue, Constellations of Thought and Feeling. We seek writing that expands imagination, deepens emotional understanding, and explores the diverse experiences and visions emerging from Africa and the African diaspora.
The journal welcomes experimental, reflective, and narrative-driven pieces that draw inspiration from the curatorial and thematic directions of ARAK Collection’s past exhibitions. Writers may respond to one or more of the following thematic prompts:
- World-Making within Politics of Sight and Space (2020) — Exploring how place, memory, and geography shape cultural and social identities. Contributors might reflect on freedom, belonging, and imaginative futures within African and diasporic contexts.
- The Distance Between Yesterday and Tomorrow — Investigating memory, migration, and transformation — how the past informs the present and future, particularly through African identities and creative practices.
- A Story of Nothingness (2021) — Engaging the unseen forces that shape human experience — time, spirit, memory, and the metaphysical. Work may consider silence, absence, or the unseen as creative subjects.
- Masks Off (2022) — Exploring selfhood, authenticity, and performance. How do we present, conceal, or reinvent ourselves through culture, art, or social life?
- Split Infinity (2023) — Inspired by gaming and nonlinear storytelling — a call for writing that experiments with multiple perspectives, timelines, and decision points.
- Beyond the Chrysalis (2023) — Reflecting on transformation and rebirth. How does artistic and emotional growth happen through uncertainty, intuition, and metamorphosis?
- The Geography of Fixed Things (2023) — Questioning boundaries and belonging. How do culture, language, and movement shape our understanding of home?
- A Gathering (2024) — Considering collective memory and community. How can art and writing transform loss, erasure, and silence into acts of care and reclamation?
- Dust Tracings (2024) — Exploring ecology, fragility, and renewal — the material and metaphorical presence of dust as a record of history, life, and continuity.
Submission Categories
Creative Writing (Poetry & Short Fiction in English)
We are looking for distinctive, polished work that reflects one or more of the above themes.
- Poetry: Up to 3 poems — Remuneration: $50 per selected poem
- Short Fiction: 1 story (max. 3,000 words) — Remuneration: $160 per selected story
- Deadline: 15 November 2025
Critical Writing (Essays in Languages Other Than English)
We also invite essays engaging directly with artists represented in the ARAK Collection.
Submission Process:
- Submit a 300-word Expression of Interest (EOI) outlining your proposed topic, selected artist(s), and critical approach.
- Selected contributors will be invited to submit full articles.
Remuneration will be discussed upon invitation.
EOI Deadline: 15 November 2025
About ARAK Collection
ARAK Collection is a Qatar-based, independent initiative dedicated to advancing contemporary African art through exhibitions, research, and publications. It serves as a bridge between Africa and the Arab world, fostering cross-cultural understanding and global appreciation of African creativity.
The Collection supports artists, curators, and researchers through exhibitions, fellowships, and print and digital publishing. Its holdings include works by over 400 emerging and mid-career artists from across the African continent.